[CAUT] Sostenuto

[Don Mannino]

I think only if the composer wanted to hear that cool sound from the
sostenuto tabs!

It can be tricky with the timing sometimes, to have a spot where you can
move your feet correctly, but as far as I know one can always lift the
two pedals together.  It gets tricky if you have to move your foot from
the sostenuto to the una corda while sustaining with the damper pedal.
But that just means you have to plan carefully, and practice the foot
moves.

Don Mannino
 

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Jim Busby
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 10:43 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Sostenuto

Hi Fred,

Someone asked on CAUT) if there was music that MUST be played in a
manner that would force the piano into this situation. Is there? The
first time I heard this in a piano it was a professor that had some
piece that had very strict pedal markings, and sure enough, it seemed to
be unavoidable. But I'm not a pianist like you so maybe I wasn't reading
it correctly and, maybe the professor wasn't either. What say ye?

Regards,
Jim Busby

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Fred Sturm
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 11:30 AM
To: Ed Sutton; caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Sostenuto

On Dec 29, 2008, at 8:34 PM, Ed Sutton wrote:

> What I am trying to imagine is what possible musical effect could be 
> accomplished by releasing the sostenuto pedal while holding down the 
> damper pedal?

	Apart from the nice percussive effect (the sort of thing
somebody at CalArts might come up with <G>)?
	If you want to change the dampers being held by the sostenuto -
change of harmony - and retain the connection of overall tone via the
full damper pedal, it sure would be nice. Maintaining connection of
sound becomes a very tricky, rapid fire change of two pedals
simultaneously/one ever so slightly before the other. You play the new
bass octave (or whatever), lift both pedals, press the sostenuto, press
the damper pedal, all in the time of a 16th note. Or so it goes in some
music I play. I certainly understand the desire, if only it could be
made to work. If your timing is off ever so little, the sostenuto
doesn't catch the right dampers. If it could have been released ahead,
it would be easier to do the timing.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu